Marcin Held (born January 18, 1992) is a Polish mixed martial artist who competes in the Lightweight division of Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki (KSW). He is currently ranked #5 in the KSW Lightweight rankings.[3] He formerly competed in the Lightweight division of the Absolute Championship Berkut, Professional Fighters League, and Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional MMA competitor since 2008, Held has competed frequently in his home country of Poland and is highly touted by the media, often being regarded as "the prodigy of Polish MMA".[4] He fought in Bellator MMA from 2010 to 2016, challenging for the Bellator Lightweight Championship in 2015.
| Marcin Held | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Marcin Held January 18, 1992 Tychy, Poland |
| Other names | The Polish Prodigy |
| Nationality | Polish |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Weight | 155 lb (70 kg; 11.1 st) |
| Division | Lightweight |
| Reach | 71 in (180 cm) [1] |
| Style | Submission wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu |
| Fighting out of | Tychy, Poland |
| Team | Gracie Barra Bastion Tychy |
| Rank | Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu[2] |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 38 |
| Wins | 28 |
| By knockout | 4 |
| By submission | 15 |
| By decision | 9 |
| Losses | 10 |
| By knockout | 2 |
| By submission | 1 |
| By decision | 7 |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Representing  Poland | ||
| Men's Submission grappling | ||
| FILA Grappling World Championships | ||
 | 2010 Kraków | -70 kg (Gi) |
| FILA Grappling European Championships | ||
 | 2011 Yuzhny | -75 kg (No-Gi) |
| ADCC Submission Wrestling European Championships | ||
 | 2010 Zagreb | -76.9 kg |
| Men's Submission wrestling | ||
| IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu European Championships | ||
| 2010 Lisbon | -70 kg (purple belt) |
| FIJJA World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Cup | ||
| 2012 Warsaw | Absolute (black/brown belt) |
| Men's Pankration | ||
| World Championships | ||
| 2010 Kraków | -75 kg |
Background
Held began training in submission grappling at the age of nine, with emphasis on submission wrestling controls and Sambo style leglock system. He also received a jiu-jitsu black belt at the age 21, becoming the youngest black belt in Poland.[4] Held is well known for winning multiple submission grappling competitions in his home country. Since his MMA career has taken off, he still competes regularly in Submission Grappling, most notably for Quintet and Polaris.[5] Though he fights at lightweight, he has expressed a desire to compete at featherweight, should the right fight become available.[4]
Mixed martial arts career
Early career
Held began his professional mixed martial arts career and compiled a 3–0 record before joining Shooto. His debut fight for the organisation was at Shooto Poland, where he headlined and defeated Rafal Lasota via TKO (leg injury). Just prior to the Shooto fight, Held was named as one of the top ten unsigned prospects to watch for 2009.[4]
In December 2009, Held competed in an eight-man tournament, defeating all three opponents; the latter two by submission. Following this, Held defeated Przemyslaw Zbiciak via submission (rear naked choke) midway through the first round.[6]
Held's first professional loss came at the hands of Lukasz Sajewski, a fellow highly rated prospect from Poland. Sajewski was able to neutralise the submission game of Held, before gaining top position and riding out a unanimous decision victory.[7]
Held rebounded to defeat the former Cage Rage Lightweight Champion Jean Silva. Held attacked his opponent with a lot of leg locks, Jean didn't tap very good leg lock and after he stand up he fall down because of knee injury. Held won the fight via TKO.[8]
Held was scheduled to participate in the inaugural event of a new Polish promotion - Infinite Fighting Federation - in October in Dąbrowa Górnicza, against German fighter Franco de Leonardis. However, due to an accident involving de Leonardis,[9] he faced Bojan Kosednar.[10] Held won the fight with a kneebar submission in the second round.
According to mmarocks, Held signed a contract to compete against Juha-Pekka Vainikainen in November at Iron Fist 3.[11] However, for unknown reasons, Held was forced to pull out of the fight and was replaced by Anthony Durnell.
Bellator MMA
On October 14, Held signed with Bellator MMA to compete in their Season Four Lightweight Tournament.[12] He faced wrestler Michael Chandler in the opening quarterfinal round at Bellator 36. He lost via arm-triangle choke submission in the first round.
Held faced Phillipe Nover at Bellator 59. He won the fight via split decision (29–28, 29–28, 29–28). Sherdog.com scored the bout 29–28 in favor of Nover.[13]
Held faced Murad Machaev in the opening round of the Bellator Season 7 Lightweight Tournament Quarterfinal on October 19, 2012, at Bellator 77.[14] He won the fight via unanimous decision. He faced Rich Clementi in the semifinals on November 16, 2012, at Bellator 81 and won via submission in the second round.
Held was expected to face Dave Jansen for the Season Seven Tournament Final at Bellator 84 but Held was not allowed in the Horseshoe casino, in Hammond, Indiana, where the event was being held since he was only 20 years old, and therefore the fight has been pushed to sometime during Bellator Fighting Championships: Season Eight.[15]
The bout with Jansen was rescheduled for March 21, 2013, at Bellator 93.[16] Held lost the fight via unanimous decision.
Held rebounded with a first-round KO win over Ryan Healy at Bellator 101.
Held next faced Rodrigo Cavalheiro in the Bellator Season 10 Lightweight Tournament quarterfinals at Bellator 113. He won the fight via submission in the first round. He faced Derek Anderson in the semifinals at Bellator 117 and won via submission in the second round. He faced Patricky Pitbull in the finals at Bellator 126 on September 26, 2014.[17] Held dominated the fight and won via unanimous decision.
Held faced Alexander Sarnavskiy at Bellator 136 on April 10, 2015.[18] He won the fight via verbal submission in the third round.
Held faced Will Brooks for the Bellator Lightweight Championship on November 6, 2015, at Bellator 145.[19] Despite popping Brooks' knee in the opening round, Held lost the fight via unanimous decision.
Held had a rematch with Dave Jansen on May 20, 2016, at Bellator 155.[20] He won the fight via unanimous decision. Despite getting the win, Bellator MMA announced they had released Held from his contract.[21] Held, however, wrote a Facebook post citing that he terminated his own contract.
Ultimate Fighting Championship
On August 30, Held officially signed with the UFC.[22]
Held made his promotional debut against UFC veteran Diego Sanchez on November 5, 2016, at The Ultimate Fighter Latin America 3 Finale.[23] Despite having some success with his boxing and remaining active off his back looking for submissions, Held lost the bout by unanimous decision.[24]
Held next faced Joe Lauzon on January 15, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 103.[25] He lost the fight via a controversial split decision, with even his opponent Lauzon saying he felt he lost the bout post-fight.[26] Likewise, 16 out of 17 media pundits scored the bout for Held; the lone holdout scored the fight a draw.[27]
Held faced Damir Hadžović on May 28, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 109.[28] After handily winning the first two rounds, he lost the fight via knockout in the opening seconds of the third round.[29]
Held was expected to face Teemu Packalen on October 21, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 118.[30] Teemu injured his knee and was replaced by Nasrat Haqparast.[31] Held won the fight via unanimous decision to earn his first UFC win and fighting out his rookie contract.[32]
Absolute Championship Berkut
Despite the UFC offering a new contract, Held decided to sign a contract with Absolute Championship Berkut and he faced Callan Potter in his debut at ACB 88.[33][34] Held won the bout via submission in the first round.
Professional Fighters League
In March 2020, Held signed with Professional Fighters League.[35]
Held made his PFL debut against Natan Schulte on April 23, 2021, at PFL 1.[36] He won the bout via unanimous decision.[37]
Held faced Olivier Aubin-Mercier at PFL 4 on June 10, 2021.[38] He lost the bout via unanimous decision.[39]
Held faced Natan Schulte on June 17, 2022, at PFL 4.[40] He lost the bout via unanimous decision.[41]
Held faced Myles Price on August 13, 2022, at PFL 8. He won the bout via guillotine choke in the second round.[42][43]
Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki
On October 14, 2023 it was announced that Held signed with KSW and would make his debut against Raul Tutarauli on December 16, 2023 at KSW 89.[44] Held lost the bout in the second round via TKO stoppage.[45]
Professional grappling career
Held competed in a superfight against Guram Kutateladze at ADXC 1 on October 20, 2023.[46] He won the match by submission with an armbar.[47]
Championships and accomplishments
Mixed martial arts
- Mixed Martial Arts Challengers
- MMA Challengers 2 Lightweight Tournament Winner
- Bellator Fighting Championships
- Bellator Season 10 Lightweight Tournament Winner
- Bellator Season 7 Lightweight Tournament Runner-Up
- Tied (with Michael Chandler and Adam Piccolotti) for most submission victories in Bellator Lightweight division (five)[48]
Submission grappling
- ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship
- 2011 ADCC Submission Wrestling Polish Championships Gold Medalist
- 2010 ADCC Submission Wrestling European Championships Bronze Medalist
- International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles
- 2011 FILA Grappling European Championships Senior No-Gi Gold Medalist
- 2010 FILA Grappling World Championships Senior Gi Silver Medalist
- Polaris
- 2018 Polaris 6 - Defeated Chris Fishgold by Armbar
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
- International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation
- 2010 IBJJF European Open Jiu-Jitsu Championships Purple Belt Gold Medalist
- Federation International of Jiu-Jitsu Association
- 2012 FIJJA World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Cup Warsaw Trials Absolute Brown/Black Belt Runner-up
- 2012 FIJJA World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Cup Warsaw Trials Brown/Black Belt 3rd Place
Pankration
- International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation
- 2010 FILA Pankration World Championships Senior Silver Medalist
Mixed martial arts record
| 39 matches | 29 wins | 10 losses |
| By knockout | 4 | 2 |
| By submission | 15 | 1 |
| By decision | 10 | 7 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 29-10 | Roman Szymański | Decision (unanimous) | KSW 95: Wikłacz vs. Przybysz 5 | June 7, 2024 | 3 | 5:00 | Olsztyn, Poland | |
| Loss | 28–10 | Raul Tutarauli | TKO (punches) | KSW 89: Bartosiński vs. Parnasse | December 16, 2023 | 2 | 3:49 | Gliwice, Poland | |
| Win | 28–9 | Myles Price | Submission (guillotine choke) | PFL 9 (2022) | August 20, 2022 | 2 | 2:37 | London, England | |
| Loss | 27–9 | Natan Schulte | Decision (unanimous) | PFL 4 (2022) | June 17, 2022 | 3 | 5:00 | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | |
| Loss | 27–8 | Olivier Aubin-Mercier | Decision (unanimous) | PFL 4 (2021) | June 10, 2021 | 3 | 5:00 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | |
| Win | 27–7 | Natan Schulte | Decision (unanimous) | PFL 1 (2021) | April 23, 2021 | 3 | 5:00 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | |
| Win | 26–7 | Diego Brandão | Decision (unanimous) | ACA 96: Goncharov vs. Johnson | June 8, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Łódź, Poland | |
| Win | 25–7 | Musa Khamanaev | Submission (heel hook) | ACB 90 Moscow | November 10, 2018 | 1 | 2:09 | Moscow, Russia | |
| Win | 24–7 | Callan Potter | Submission (heel hook) | ACB 88 | June 16, 2018 | 1 | 1:09 | Brisbane, Australia | |
| Win | 23–7 | Nasrat Haqparast | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Till | October 21, 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | Gdańsk, Poland | |
| Loss | 22–7 | Damir Hadžović | KO (knee) | UFC Fight Night: Gustafsson vs. Teixeira | May 28, 2017 | 3 | 0:07 | Stockholm, Sweden | |
| Loss | 22–6 | Joe Lauzon | Decision (split) | UFC Fight Night: Rodríguez vs. Penn | January 15, 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | |
| Loss | 22–5 | Diego Sanchez | Decision (unanimous) | The Ultimate Fighter Latin America 3 Finale: dos Anjos vs. Ferguson | November 5, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Mexico City, Mexico | |
| Win | 22–4 | Dave Jansen | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 155 | May 20, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Boise, Idaho, United States | |
| Loss | 21–4 | Will Brooks | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 145 | November 6, 2015 | 5 | 5:00 | St. Louis, Missouri, United States | For the Bellator Lightweight Championship. |
| Win | 21–3 | Alexander Sarnavskiy | Submission (kneebar) | Bellator 136 | April 10, 2015 | 3 | 1:11 | Irvine, California, United States | |
| Win | 20–3 | Patricky Freire | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 126 | September 26, 2014 | 3 | 5:00 | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | Bellator Season 10 Lightweight tournament final. |
| Win | 19–3 | Nate Jolly | Submission (armbar) | Bellator 120 | May 17, 2014 | 1 | 4:20 | Southaven, Mississippi, United States | |
| Win | 18–3 | Derek Anderson | Submission (triangle choke) | Bellator 117 | April 18, 2014 | 2 | 3:07 | Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States | Bellator Season 10 Lightweight tournament semifinal. |
| Win | 17–3 | Rodrigo Cavalheiro | Submission (toe hold) | Bellator 113 | March 21, 2014 | 1 | 1:56 | Mulvane, Kansas, United States | Bellator Season 10 Lightweight tournament quarterfinal. |
| Win | 16–3 | Ryan Healy | KO (punches) | Bellator 101 | September 27, 2013 | 1 | 1:12 | Portland, Oregon, United States | |
| Loss | 15–3 | Dave Jansen | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 93 | March 21, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | Lewiston, Maine, United States | Bellator Season 7 Lightweight tournament final. |
| Win | 15–2 | Rich Clementi | Submission (toe hold) | Bellator 81 | November 16, 2012 | 2 | 3:04 | Kingston, Rhode Island, United States | Bellator Season 7 Lightweight tournament semifinal. |
| Win | 14–2 | Murad Machaev | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 77 | October 19, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Reading, Pennsylvania, United States | Bellator Season 7 Lightweight tournament quarterfinal. |
| Win | 13–2 | Derrick Kennington | Submission (heel hook) | Bellator 68 | May 11, 2012 | 1 | 2:08 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | |
| Win | 12–2 | Phillipe Nover | Decision (split) | Bellator 59 | November 26, 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | |
| Win | 11–2 | Kaleo Kwan | Submission (inverted heel hook) | AFC 2: Lombard vs. Taylor | September 3, 2011 | 1 | 0:55 | Melbourne, Australia | |
| Loss | 10–2 | Michael Chandler | Technical Submission (arm triangle choke) | Bellator 36 | March 12, 2011 | 1 | 3:56 | Shreveport, Louisiana, United States | Bellator Season 4 Lightweight tournament quarterfinal. |
| Win | 10–1 | Bojan Kosednar | Submission (kneebar) | Infinite Fighting Federation | October 8, 2010 | 2 | 3:24 | Dąbrowa Górnicza, Poland | |
| Win | 9–1 | Jean Silva | TKO (knee injury) | Pro Fight 5 | June 18, 2010 | 2 | 2:30 | Wrocław, Poland | |
| Loss | 8–1 | Łukasz Sajewski | Decision (unanimous) | AOF 7: Support for Haiti | May 29, 2010 | 2 | 5:00 | Płock, Poland | |
| Win | 8–0 | Przemysław Zbiciak | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Ring XF 1: First Battle | March 13, 2010 | 1 | 3:11 | Zgierz, Poland | |
| Win | 7–0 | Borys Mańkowski | Submission (armbar) | MMA Challengers 2 | December 6, 2009 | 1 | 2:10 | Bytom, Poland | Won the MMA Challengers 2 Lightweight Tournament. |
| Win | 6–0 | Mariusz Abramiak | Submission (rear-naked choke) | MMA Challengers 2 | December 6, 2009 | 1 | 3:23 | Bytom, Poland | |
| Win | 5–0 | Ireneusz Mila | Decision (unanimous) | MMA Challengers 2 | December 6, 2009 | 2 | 4:00 | Bytom, Poland | |
| Win | 4–0 | Rafał Lasota | TKO (leg injury) | Shooto Poland: Held vs. Lasota | November 21, 2009 | 3 | N/A | Kielce, Poland | |
| Win | 3–0 | Mariusz Pioskowik | TKO (punches) | Bytomska: Gala MMA 2 | May 23, 2009 | 2 | 2:49 | Bytom, Poland | |
| Win | 2–0 | Artur Sowiński | Decision (majority) | MMA Challengers 1 | May 3, 2009 | 2 | 5:00 | Mysłowice, Poland | |
| Win | 1–0 | Mateusz Piórkowski | Submission (armbar) | Abak Moto | September 28, 2008 | 1 | 4:01 | Muchowiec, Poland |
